THE ECONOMY

MIXED RESULTS. U.S. retail sales slipped 0.8 percent in May. The decline: A correction after April's strong growth of 2.4 percent. . . . U.S. factory production slipped 0.1 percent in May on top of April's 0.2 percent decline. Getting the blame: Foreign competitors who have been given a leg up by a strong U.S. dollar. . . . Wholesale prices rose 0.2 percent in May, an increase attributed almost entirely to sharply higher energy prices. . . . U.S. automakers reported a 15.5 percent gain in car sales, the best early June performance in seven years. Combined sales: 216,565 cars in the United States during June 1-10 vs. 187,482 in the same period a year ago.